Low undulating hills cover the surface of the county,
the highest elevation being Bardon Hill (902 ft.), in the
Charnwood range. Charnwood Forest, in the NW.,
is now nearly destitute of trees. The principal rivers
are tributaries of the Trent, which flows in the NAY. of
the county ; these are the Soar, AYreak, Anker, Devon,
and Mease. The Avon and Welland flow in the S.
Two canals, the Union and the Grand Union, are con-
nected with the Grand Junction Canal. Much of the
soil is loamy, and the richest districts are kept in pas-
ture, upon which are reared the varieties of sheep and
cattle for which the county is famous. Dairy farms are
numerous, especially in the vicinity of Melton Mowbray,
where the well-known Stilton cheese is largely produced.
(For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) Leicester-
shire consists mostly of the new red sandstone forma-
tion. The coal measures have a total area of about 15
square miles, the most productive mines being in the
neighbourhood of Ashby de la Zouch. Hosiery is the
leading mfr., the wool employed being that of Leices-
tershire sheep. The county has 6 hundreds, 332 pars?
and 8 parts, and the parliamentary and municipal bor.
of Leicester (2 members). It is almost entirely in
the diocese of Peterborough. For Parliamentary pur-
poses the county is divided into 4 divisions—Eastern,
or Melton; Mid, or Loughborough; Western, or Bos-
worth ; and Southern, or Harborough, 1 member for
each division.

Leicester Abbey, par., in co. and in N. vicinity of
Leicester, 25 ac., pop. 35.

Leicester Forest, East and West, 2 pars., Leicester-
shire-East Leicester Forest, 2g miles S. of Leicester,
pop. 77; West Leicester Forest, 5 miles S. of Leicester,
pop. 48.

Leicester Frith, par., in co. and 2 miles NW. of
Leicester, pop. 35.

Leigh.—market town and par. (ry. stations West
Leigh, and Leigh and Bedford), SAY. Lancashire,
21 miles NE. of Liverpool, 16 miles NW. of Man-
chester, and 193 miles NW. of London by rail—par.,
13,792 ac., pop. 46,959; town, pop. 21,734; 2 Banks,
2 newspapers. Market-day, Saturday. The town is
situated on the AYigan and Leigh branch of the
Leeds and Liverpool and Bridgwater Canals, and has
an extensive trade in its mfrs. of cotton and silk; the
minor industries being glass-working, ironfounding,
malting, and brewing. Coal mines are in the vicinity.
—2. Leigh, township and Vil., Yetminster par., Dorset,
in NW. of co., 5 miles SW. of Sherborne, 1984 ac.,
pop. 403; P.O. — 3. Leigh, vil., Wimborne Minster
par., Dorset, in E. of co., 1 mile E. of AYimborne.—4.
Leigh, small seaport and par. with ry. sta., Essex,
in SE. of co., on creek of river Thames, 3 miles AY. of
Southend and 39 miles E. of London, 1547 ac. and 556
tidal water and foreshore, pop. 1761; P.O., T.O.; has
important oyster and shrimp fisheries.—5. Leigh,
par., Gloucestershire, on river Severn and Comb Canal,
5g miles NW. of Cheltenham, 1720 ac., pop. 337.—

6. Leigh, hamlet, in par. and lg mile N. of Havant,
Hants; in vicinity is the seat of Leigh Park.—7.
Leigh, par. and vil., Kent, 2g miles AY. of Tunbridge,
4721 ac., pop. 1293; P.O.; in vicinity of vil. is the seat
of Leigh Park.—8. Leigh, hamlet, AYinsham par.,
Somerset, 2 miles SE. of Chard; in vicinity is the
seat of Leigh House.—9. Leigh, par., township, and
vil. with ry. sta., Staffordshire, on river Blythe—par.,
7206 ac., pop. 937; township, 6223 ac., pop. 866; vil.,
6 miles NW. of Uttoxeter ; P.O.—19. Leigh, par. and
vil., Surrey, 3 miles SW. of Reigate, 3419 ac., pop.
523; P.O.—IS. Leigh, township and vil., Ashton Keynes
par., Wilts, on river Thames, 3 miles AY. of Cricklade,
1460 ac., pop. 295 ; P.O.—12. Leigh, vil., Bradford on
Avon par., AYilts, 2 miles NE. of Bradford.—E3. Leigh,
hamlet, in par. and 1 mile SAV. of AVestbury, Wilts.
—14. Leigh, par., township, and vil. with ry. sta.
(Leigh Court), AA^orcestershire—par., 6129 ac., pop.
4878; township, pop. 4621; contains Malvern Link;
vil., on river Teme, 4| miles SW. of Worcester; P.O.,
called Leigh Sinton.

Leigh, Abbots. See Abbots Leigh.

Leigh, East.—hamlet, West Leigh par., Devon, 3
miles NE. of Bideford.—2. Leigh, East, hamlet, Har-
berton par., Devon, lg mile SAY. of Totnes.